Study Question:
Does altering the intake of dietary sugars influence body weight in free living people consuming ad libitum (that is, with no strict control of food intake)?

Summary Answer:
Altering intake of sugars or sugar sweetened beverages is associated with changes in bodyweight, which seem to be mediated via changes in energy intake since isoenergetic exchange of sugars with other carbohydrates is not associated with weight change.

What is Known & What This Paper Adds:
Sugar intake has been linked to obesity, but the association is tenuous. Based o nformal systematic review & meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials, an increased or decreased intake of sugars resulted in parallel changes in body weight, with poor dietary compliance apparently explaining the absence of such an effect in some studies involving children.